I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [262]

With her mana completely drained, Megumin was unable to move. Nero, ever the benevolent Emperor, decided to carry her back.

After asking where Megumin lived, Nero realized her mistake—it was a foolish question. Megumin had come with Yunyun, so naturally, they were staying together.

Megumin was surprisingly light, her weight barely noticeable on Nero's back. Of course, Nero's exceptional physical abilities as a Servant played a part in this as well.

"However, we won't be going straight back. I still need to stop by the guild to submit the quest. You don't mind, do you?"

"Not at all. This is much better than lying in the dirt until nightfall and then dragging myself back home with my staff."

Clinging to Nero's neck, Megumin seemed unusually docile.

"Hmm! To be carried by me, the Emperor, is an honor you should cherish!"

"Hmm… then you should feel honored too! After all, you're carrying the strongest mage of the Crimson Magic Clan and the future greatest wizard in the world!"

Even in her current state, completely powerless and relying on Nero to carry her, Megumin refused to concede in their verbal sparring.

Alice walked alongside Nero, occasionally glancing enviously at Megumin, who was perched on Nero's back.

Alice couldn't help but recall the night she first met Nero, when Nero had carried her in a princess carry.

Nestled in Nero's warm embrace, the faint, pleasant fragrance lingering in the air had made her head spin. When Nero leapt from the castle window with her, it felt as though she had broken free from the chains of her responsibilities, soaring into the liberating embrace of the sky. The shock of it all had given way to exhilaration that consumed her entirely.

"Big Sis, is she… the Crimson Magic Clan girl you mentioned before, the one who used Explosion Magic in the forest?"

Alice couldn't resist asking. "Did you two… already know each other?"

"…Hmm! Now that you mention it, I don't believe I've properly introduced Megumin to you."

Blinking, Nero adjusted her hold on Megumin's legs. "This is Megumin, Yunyun's companion—"

"I am not that girl's companion. She's my rival!"

Megumin interjected abruptly, her tone firm and serious.

"Hmm! Do you really see it that way?"

"Of course I do! What other relationship could I possibly have with her besides being her rival?"

Hearing Megumin's defiant words, Nero gave her a knowing smile.

"Megumin and Yunyun came to Axel together. When I first met Yunyun, Megumin was right there with her. Back then, when I invited Yunyun to join us, Megumin thought I was inviting her instead…"

"AAAAAAHHH—!!! DON'T SAY THAT!!"

Despite her exhaustion, Megumin somehow managed to summon a shred of energy, attempting to stop Nero from revealing her embarrassing moment. However, her meager strength was no match for Nero.

Next, Nero introduced Alice to Megumin, using Alice's alias, Iris.

Nero was mindful of the timeline. In the original story, Megumin would eventually become part of Kazuma's party, followed by Darkness, who was a noble. While most people might not recognize Alice, there was no doubt Darkness would. If Megumin discovered Alice's true identity and word got back to Darkness, it would spell trouble.

Frankly, Nero didn't trust Megumin to keep a secret.

That said, since Megumin was still casually using Explosion Magic near town without much backlash, it was clear she hadn't joined any party yet. In other words, Kazuma and Aqua hadn't entered her life.

Even with Nero's interference, it was hard to imagine Megumin not joining Kazuma's party. After all, who else besides Kazuma's chaotic group would tolerate her eccentricities?

As Nero mused over such thoughts, she noticed a commotion nearby.

"Come one, come all! Look at this! Fresh bananas, just hauled out of the water, now on sale for just 300 Eris! That's right, 300 Eris! Take a look!"

…Wait. What? Bananas? Hauled out of the water?

"Excuse me?! Hold on a second! Hey, did you just say those bananas were pulled out of the water?"

A boy's voice rang out, sounding just as baffled as Nero felt.

Nero turned toward the voice—it seemed oddly familiar, like she'd heard it multiple times recently.

Following the sound, she spotted a brown-haired boy calling out from a fruit and vegetable stall. Beside him stood a stunning woman with waist-length aqua-blue hair.

"…Why are you suddenly staring at me?"

"Nothing, just… marveling at how fate works. It's so unbelievable, it makes me want to curse."

Nero shifted her gaze from Megumin's face back to the duo at the stall.

"Hey, Iris… are bananas something that grow underwater?"

"Uh… I'm not sure, but that man doesn't seem to be lying. And nobody around here seems to think it's strange."

Alice responded uncertainly.

At that moment, Megumin chimed in from Nero's back.

"What are you talking about? If bananas don't grow in water, where else would they come from?"

"…Excuse me?"

"What do you mean, excuse me? What kind of backwater… no, wait. If you're from a rural area, you should know this even better! Don't tell me you're both sheltered nobles who don't know basic common sense?"

Nero was utterly dumbfounded. Where on earth is it common knowledge that bananas grow underwater?

"R-Right, I see now. Bananas come from the water. I've learned something new today," Alice said earnestly, looking at Megumin with an expression of newfound understanding. "Thank you, Megumin, for teaching me this."

"Oh… it's nothing, really…"

Megumin's cheeks turned pink. Alice's polite gratitude left her feeling a little embarrassed.

As the group chatted, the crowd around the fruit stall grew larger and rowdier.

Perhaps invigorated by the growing audience, the aqua-haired woman became even more animated, banging on the table with a paper fan as she shouted.

"Step right up, step right up! Now, don't be shocked when I show you this—these bananas will disappear at my command!"

"Hey! Can you actually do that? The crowd's only getting bigger—what'll you do if you mess up?!"

The brown-haired boy, Kazuma, shot a skeptical glance at the aqua-haired girl, Aqua.

"Hah! A mere shut-in dares to question me? Fine, I'll show you! Prepare to witness the divine power of a goddess! And once you do, you'd better bow down, reflect on your insolence, and properly worship me!"

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T/N: newwwwwww translation 'Pokemon: My Titles Know No Limits!' however it seems theres already a translation ongoing already, so just letting you know they did it first! last i checked they had 66 chaps out on webnovel and 150+ on patreon! go check them out if you're interested: 'Pokemon: With Title System'

"..."

- Gardevoir

(End of Chapter—Support the translator at [patreon.com/WiseTL]!)